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Home , A Simple Game, Florence Ballard, Marvin Gaye, Mike Pinder, Popcorn (music style), Thelma Houston

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THE COMPLETE SINGLES VOLUME 11B:1971

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CUSTOMER Title Motown Singles Vol. 11B - 1971

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JUST MY IMAGINATION BY SCOTT REGAN 4

REMEMBER HOW YOU GOT WHERE YOU ARE SINGLES BY DR. ANDREW FLORY 12 DISC 61 20

DISC 62 34

VOLUME 11B:1971 DISC 63 52

DISC 64 72

DISC 65 90

THE INDEXES 108

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REMEMBER HOW YOU GOT WHERE YOU ARE

In 1968, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders presented a much- anticipated study of the declining inner cities of America. As a reaction to the series of riots that had plagued various urban centers including , and Newark in the years prior, this famous “Kerner Report” found that white racism was one of the primary causes of the exploding tension in black neighborhoods. The fact that President Johnson had even commissioned the report was a sign of how dire the racial situation in America’s cities had become. More than three years later, in September 1971, a group called the National Urban Coalition released an update on the findings of the Kerner Report. The results were chilling. With Detroit as one of the six cities specifically under investigation, the Coalition found that none of the original suggestions from the Kerner Commission had been Iimplemented. Furthermore, the report predicted, “if this trend continues at its present rate—and if racism continues—most cities by 1980 will be predominately black and brown, and totally bankrupt.”

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In line with these findings, the neighborhood surrounding 2648 West Grand Boulevard Perhaps the most fascinating recycling was the two-part “MacArthur Park” single by was starting to take a toll on those who lived and worked in the Motor City. Furthermore, the . While it did not sell exceptionally well, their version of Richard Harris’s it was clear that the social atmosphere was not the only thing that had changed in Detroit. 1968 hit encapsulated Motown’s struggles with both stylistic and geographic identity. The music coming out of Motown was much different than it had been during the sixties. Recorded three years earlier in November 1968, this track originally served as filler on Optimistic songs about young love anchored by the “Motown Beat” were few and far between. the 1969 Four Tops Now! (In keeping with the re-use theme, the entire album was The plug-side hits that did sound like old Motown were now mostly being produced in Los re-released in 1971 with new cover art as Angeles. In this light, there was irony dripping from the opening line of the Temptations’ MacArthur Park.) Clocking in at about six October 1971 release “Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are),” when Dennis minutes, the two parts of this extended Edwards sang “don’t change your style now that you’ve reached the top.” dramatic piece were unlike Motown Motown’s biggest hits of late 1971 were largely in a stylistic gray zone between The had ever released as a single, and certainly Sound Of Young America and the mature Los Angeles sound to follow from artists like anathema to those who cherished the dance- , and . The struggle to find a new direction, and oriented Motown of the past. It was also a song the beginning of a new era of self-produced artists, had led to a lack of fresh material. that romanticized Motown’s soon-to-be home Accordingly, during this transitional period there was a notable dependence on older, of Los Angeles. reworked songs. This type of recycling had always been a part of the Motown business Surprisingly, the Tops’ “MacArthur Park” model, but it started to become much more apparent in late 1971 when fewer newly did not get a U.K. single release. Instead, the composed songs appeared on the upper reaches of the record charts. group recorded “,” written by , the Temptations, the Undisputed Truth and the Originals each had of (who backed A-sides plucked from the Jobete catalog. In September the Elgins’ 1966 classic “Heaven them on the record) and produced by Tony Must Have Sent You” was re-released in the U.K. to great success, and subsequently in the Clarke. In September 1971 Tamla Motown U.S. as well, but without similar results. One of Motown’s two Christmas singles was Stevie released it as a single in the U.K. and scored Wonder’s “What Christmas Means To Me,” which he had recorded four years earlier. This a massive hit. This marked a first, as the label would be the last Wonder record before Music Of My Mind hit the shelves in early 1972. had made a practice of picking U.S. album tracks and old 45s and turning them into hits in the U.K., but never before had it recorded a Motown act especially for the British market. Meanwhile, Motown waited until 1972 to release “A Simple Game” in the , where it peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Best-Selling Soul Singles chart and barely broke into the Hot 100, illustrating how far British and American attitudes toward Motown had diverged by this time. Similarly, in summer 1971 British disc jockey Tony Blackburn obsessively began to spin “I’m Still Waiting,” an earlier album track by Diana Ross. Released as a single in the U.K., it spent four weeks at the national No. 1 spot. When finally released as a single in the U.S., “Waiting” did not repeat its U.K. success in the way that “The Tears Of A Clown” by and topped the charts in both countries the year before.

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The divergence was equally marked in 1971 by the London publication of the first the Miracles were readying Smokey Robinson’s departure from the group after a series of serious critical appreciation of the company and its music, Motown & The Arrival of Black mediocre releases. And , who led the Motown cavalcade in 1964, quietly scored Music by David Morse, published by the tiny but prestigious Studio Vista imprint. Always the group’s last Top 20 hit with “Floy Joy.” lagging in appreciation of its black music, the United States would not see its own book- As the Supremes saw the slow commercial decline of their latest incarnation, Motown length study of Motown until the end of the decade. The attention in magazines was also also closed the chapter on a lingering issue tied to the original group. In February 1971, greater in Britain, notably in the candid interviews with Motown artists that appeared , feeling she had been ousted from the group in 1967 through what was in almost every issue of the bi-monthly magazine Blues & Soul. Coverage in American termed “fraud and conspiracy,” had sued Berry magazines like Crawdaddy! and Creem, had been sporadic. had named the Gordy and the company for more than $8 million. Jackson 5 “Group of the Year” at the end of 1970, and followed with a cover story on ’s Wayne County Court ruled against her G. C. Cameron in April 1971. In May it published a lengthy article about the 5-LP box set in October 1971. The messy split with Ballard, The Motown Story that included an in-depth review each from Vince Aletti and Jon Landau. coupled with the exit of Paul Williams from the By mid-1971 Motown releases began to appear with regularity in the rock press. By the end Temptations, illustrated the extent to which of the year Rolling Stone was in preparation for its first formal interview piece, “A Visit departures by artists foundational to the company’s With Marvin Gaye.” success were becoming an unfortunate part of In accordance with the company’s increasing focus on the West Coast, Motown’s stake business as usual at Motown. in the larger entertainment field expanded during this time. In December, shooting finally Though Motown was seeing a decline in began for the feature film Lady Sings The Blues, which incorporated into its production a popularity with its African-American base, several bevy of Motown personnel. On television, the company’s youth-oriented hit-makers, the recordings from this time showcased Motown’s Jackson 5, were the stars of a prime-time ABC-TV special called Goin’ Back to Indiana, attempts to court the evolving soul and gospel which included appearances by , Elgin markets. On the new MoWest imprint, former Baylor, Bill Russell and Tommy Smothers. The Spinner G. C. Cameron’s “Act Like a Shotgun”— Jackson brothers were also the focus of a new with behind-the-scenes help from , Willie ABC network cartoon, The Jackson 5ive, which Hutch and —exhibited a solid premiered in September and ran for more than groove. The company also saw the brief return of 20 episodes over two seasons. Michael’s role as early Motown staffer Richard “” Wylie, the leader of the group was confirmed in these whose “Funky Rubber ” appeared on the Soul television appearances, and supported with the label. Motown also released a gospel compilation release of “Got To Be There,” which became the called Rock Gospel: The Key to The Kingdom, full of first Jackson family solo single to hit the shelves. contributions from a diverse cross-section of the company’s artists, including Valerie Several groups that were at the center of Simpson, Blinky, Impact of Brass, and Stoney and Meatloaf. The Bobby Taylor song “Hey Motown’s hit-making machine in the sixties Lordy,” released as a single in November on MoWest, had its origins in this set. showed signs of wear during the final half of 1971. Other eclectic singles to fall under the radar from this period included a collection of and the Vandellas continued to rock tracks, spoken word releases and some revered gems, including rare treasures by struggle on the charts, having failed to make it , and Virgil Henry. The second single released on Motown by into the Top 20 for the last four years. Similarly, Jr. Darin could not have been more different from the first, “Melodie,” which was released in Walker’s otherwise excellent singles “Take Me Girl, the first part of the year. Culled from his unreleased debut album Live At The Desert Inn, I’m Ready” and “Way Back Home” received a the self-penned topical song “Sing A Simple Song Of Freedom” and his cover of ’s lukewarm reception from record buyers. Even “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” offer a splendid portrait of Darin’s country sound during his

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fascinating late period. Houston’s MoWest debut is also an infrequently discussed classic. In light of the drastic societal and musical changes to occur in 1971, Motown only Her version of Chris Clark’s 1967 song “I Want to Go Back There Again,” with its released one song during the latter half of the year to comment directly on the crumbling commanding vocal performance and virtuosic bass work, explains Motown’s interest in a ghettos of America: Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler).” This who had already released more than half a dozen poor-selling singles on Dunhill. was also the only song released by the company during the last six months of 1971 to top Henry’s November release on Tamla, a pickup from the Colossus label, included two songs the Billboard Soul singles chart. The stark conflict between the subject matter and Gaye’s that have since become favorites, “I Can’t Believe You’re Really Leaving” and easygoing makes this one of the most memorable tracks of the entire Detroit Era. “You Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin’ New,” which both feature lush orchestral textures endemic to the Furthermore, as the finale of the What’s Going On LP this piece marks the culmination of emerging Philly Soul sound. the album’s concept. After the question raised in the opening title track is deconstructed Virgil Henry’s record served over the course of two album sides, Marvin’s “Blues” concludes that the problems facing Marvin Gaye as a stark reminder that Motown’s the “Inner City” form a circular set of issues. This is evidenced even more fully on the LP hegemony in the field of black crossover with a reprise of “What’s Going On.” was effectively coming to an end. Though Though in much different modalities, the views of Gaye and the National Urban was dominant in Coalition were in lockstep concerning the urban crisis facing America. These were immense the industry as both a and problems, and there was no easy solution. Unfortunately, the resounding echoes of the producer during 1971, there were many inner city were lost in the back pages of newspapers during the last half of 1971 while the other important acts on the rise. Former unpopular war in Vietnam and President Nixon’s announcement of a breakthrough in Motown stalwarts Holland, Dozier and Chinese diplomacy were at the fore of the national consciousness. Holland scored the first No. 1 pop hit on Nevertheless, the continuing changes to Detroit were a crucial factor in the daily lives their Hot Wax label in June with Honey of those who were high in the ranks at Motown. As his father had moved to Detroit from Cone’s “Want Ads.” ’ funky Sandersville, Georgia nearly 50 years before in search of greater business opportunities, orchestral arrangements ushered in a also had his eye on moving away from his home base. This time, however, new soundtrack genre as the goal was to depart the Motor City to allow Motown’s new entertainment ventures to his “” hit the top of prosper. It would remain to be seen how the company’s music would change without the the charts in late November. (Marvin support of Detroit and its unique cultural landscape. Gaye would follow suit the next year with the less successful Trouble Man.) —Andrew Flory And at the end of the year Sly and the Family Stone saw their single “Family Affair” and its parent album There’s A Riot Goin’ On hit No. 1 as well. Dr. Flory is Assistant Professor of Music History at the Shenandoah Conservatory. This wide success by black artists in the pop field did not go unnoticed by the music He has taught courses about, and written widely on, many different aspects of industry. For one, went corporate in July 1971, leaving the independent King American . His book : Listening to the Records out of Cincinnati to sign with Polydor. Much more important, however, was a Music of Motown is forthcoming from the University of Michigan Press. study commissioned by and administered by the Business School at Harvard. Conducted during the last half of 1971, this study, better known as the “Harvard Report,” would change the trajectory of black-based by singling out R&B as an untapped market sector and urging major music corporations to invest heavily in the future of this music. After the completion of this study, Columbia secured distribution deals with Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Records and ’ T-Neck imprint.

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